BPI Chess Club Team becomes the back-to-back champion after defending its title on the 2nd Interbank/Commercial Chess Team tournament held on August 29, 2015 at BPI Head Office canteen. BPI fielded 2 teams this year. Led by National Master Nick Nisperos on board 1, with an ELO rating of 2139, Jovert Valenzuela on board 2 and with ELO rating of 2189, Roland Roselada on board 3 and ELO rating of 1943, unrated player Ziegfred Borja on board 4 and Michael Enriquez on board 5 with an ELO rating of 1866 composed the BPI Team A.

Team A sweeps all games assignments beating BPI Team B, Deutsche Bank, Energy Development Corp., Makati Medical Center and SGS Gulf Ltd. consecutively accumulating a total 18 points to emerge the champion while Deutsche Bank placed 2nd with a slim margin of 11 1/2 points from third place EDC with 10 points.

BPI Chess Club celebrates after defending the 2nd Interbank/Commercial Chess Team tournament

BPI Team B, composed of unrated players Raymund Diaz, Moises Nogot, Fabian Panelo III, Eddie Tomboc, and Christian Ian Lim finished fourth place with 9 1/2 total points. BPI Team B lost to BPI Team A on the opening round, while drawing games between MMC on round 2 and EDC on round 5, lost to Deutsche Bank on 3rd before winning 4th round assignment versus SGS Gulf.

With our very own President Bong Consing surprisingly visits the tournament

The excitement filled during round 1 when surprisingly, our very own President Cezar “Bong” Consing visited the venue. The players took the opportunity to have a group photo with the BPI Chess teams.

The tournament was officiated by FIDE National Arbiter Gatz V. Luz and is sanctioned by NCFP.

BPI Chess Club Team A poses during awarding ceremony; from left Mike Enriquez, NM Nick Nisperos, Jovert Valenzuela, Ziegfred Borja and Roland Roselada

★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★

Featured game 1 was a Sicilian opening masterfully played by NM Nick Nisperos vs Francisco Chung Jr. of Makati Medical Center on their board 1 penultimate encounter.

(Better try is 12. Bxe5 as per Stockfish, 12. Qe2 gives a -0.32 advantage for Black, at this point Nick is down by a min; 18mins vs 19mins of his opponent. Starting time is 22mins. Maybe NM Nick ponders the option to takes Ne5 {If 12. Bxe5 Qxe5 13. Kh1 0-0 14. f4 Qd4 15. Qxd4 Bxd4 etc. simplified the position and a slight square advantage for white..} )

(A blunder according to my chess engine!, simple was Bf1, makes it easy for Nick, fxe5 is more playable. {49…Bf1} {49…fxe5} )

50. Kd4 Kd8?! (Bf1 might have given some fight)

51. Kc5 Kc7?! (Now Black is lost, 51…Ke7 should have tried..)

52. Be8 (h7 will eventually captured) 1-0

52. Bf8! and Black resigns...

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This second game featuring a smashing victory of my teammate Roland Roselada over an unrated player of team SGS on the last round. Here everything is in control for Black and each move is almost forced.

BPI Chess Club Team emerge as solo winner at the concluded Interbank/Commercial Active Chess Team Tournament held at BPI Head Office canteen last March 14, 2015. It was the first time again that the banks executive chess players meet again for a chess tournament. The last time was before when Far East Bank was not yet merged with BPI. Accenture fielded 3 teams against Land Bank, Citibank, Makati Medical Center, RSB & Associates and BPI. Earlier on, Deutsche Bank and JP Morgan withdrawn due to conflict of schedules.

BPI Chess Club Team shows its supremacy by clobbering all opponents by sweeping them one by one. BPI Chess Club blanked Makati Medical Center on round 1 leading the scoreboard early on. On round 2, boards 1 to 3 won their respective matches while board 4 falters giving the Citibank 1-3 score. Meanwhile BPI sweep also Accenture-A. It was in round 4 that gives exciting result as the top board NM Nick Nisperos of BPI was upset by Accenture-B board one player Dave Pangilinan by halving the point and a setback of board 3 player Mike Enriquez. Thanks for saving the game by winning its board 4 player Ziegfred Borja to come up 2.5-1.5 victory by BPI Team. Next round 5 BPI blanked Accenture-C, in round 6 beating Land Bank via 3-1 score and on round 7 beating the RSB & Associates Team that almost look like to threathen BPI for the championship as they catch-up BPI in the penultimate round but was swept all board games.

BPI Chess Club Team Champion

The event was co-organized by Ayala-Paseo Executive Chess Club (APECC) and Bank of the Philippine Islands Chess Club. The arbiter officiated the game was FIDE National Arbiter Gatz Luz and Arbiter Alfredo Chay. Its tournament director was Roland Roselada of BPI Chess Club and APECC.

BPI Chess Club Team has a Match Point of 14 to rule them all. 2nd place was RSB & Associates garnering 11 MP while Citibank was on solo third with MP 9. The point system the tournament used the Game Points where for a won game the winner gets 2, if draw the score is 1 and 0 if the game is lost.